Eleven Years as a Teacher/Researcher in the

Trenches of An Alternative High School Program for ELLs

Ann A. Kennedy, Ph.D.

April 8, 2010

NALC

Charles Sumner School

ann_kennedy@apsva.us

©Kennedy, 2010

The Arlington Career Center: (Language) Program for At-risk Immigrant Adolescents

• 65 students, 17-20• “Fail” after 2 years at home

school• Receive voc ed, counseling• RLs: Emergent to RL • 90% free/reduced lunch• 85% from Central America• Others from Africa,

Mongolia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Thailand

Conceptual Framework:The Importance of:

• self efficacy;• social interaction;• balanced literacy tasks;• re-reading;• repetition;• choice;• having students produce and

practice.

Motivating Reluctant Readers (& Writers)

• Background knowledge: information & skilll

• Motivation (link to success)• Self-efficacy (link to

motivation)• Social interaction• Meaningfulness• Incidental learning• Choice• ** oral language proficiency

versus reading levels**

Importance of Reading Levels

• Decoding versus reading

• Informal assessments

• Formal reading assessments– Degrees of Reading Power (DRP)-- (TASA)

• Independent RL

• Instructional RL

• Frustrational RL

Interventions• Tested for reading comprehension

• Trained to read aloud to on-site pre-schoolers

• Trained in lap-reading techniques

• RIF (Reading is Fundamental) www.rif.org

• Bi-weekly book club– http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/

CA319022.html– http://www.arlingtoncareercenter.com/soar/

• Technology

Technology & Motivation– Accelerated Reader® (quizzes)– Use Earobics (for adolescents)– Digital stories– Google.docs (Forms)– Blogspot.com– Wiktionary & Audacity.com– Scratch.mit.edu– Turtle art

Scratch Day: Saturday, May 22 @ The Career Center (Governor’s Academy) Arlington, VA, 1:00-4:00 PM

Multi-modal Literacy

• aka multiliteracy

• Integrates “traditional” literacy with broader range

(Adams, 2005; Allender, 2005; Banaszeski, 2002; Jakes, 2005; Peregoy & Boyle, Tyner, 2006)

Guiding Principles

• Prioritize content objectives• Assess prior knowledge• Allow opportunities for all 4 skills• Design lessons that force students to become

mentally active• Make sure all students are actively involved• DON’T RELY ON THE MOST VERBAL

STUDENT(S) TO ASCERTAIN IF THE CLASS UNDERSTANDS.

Results: 1999-2009

• Students’ attitudes improve • RLs: average increase of 5-6 DRP points• DRP magic number = 65 (to pass SOLs)• Dropout rate?• Post-secondary situations

– Certifications (electricity, HVAC, etc.)– NVCC– GMU– 4-year graduates!

ReferencesAllan, K.K. & Miller, M.S. (2005) (2nd Ed.) Literacy and learning in the content areas: Strategies for

middle and secondary school teachers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2004). Improving adolescent literacy: Strategies at work. Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Gambrell, L.B., Morrow, J.M., Newman, S.B. & Pressley, M. (1999). Best practices in literacy instruction.

NY: The Guilford Press. Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2001). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance

understanding. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Kennedy, A. (September, 2003). Eat, Drink, and Be Literate. School Library Journal.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA319022.htmlKennedy, A. A. (Spring, 2010). Motivating adolescent readers: From theory to practice. VSRA Journal.Kennedy, A. A. (2006). Strategies for Teaching Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students: A

Supplemental Resource Guide to the K-12 English Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence. Virginia Department of Education. http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/ESL/LEPenglishResource.pdf

Kennedy, A. A. (2009). Using Open Source Software to connect Science, Technology, English and Math for English Language Learners. AccELLerate! 2.1. (p. 17-19). NCELA: Washington, DC. . http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/accellerate/edition/7/#article_54

Peregoy, S.F. & Boyle, O.F. (2009). (5th Ed.) Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book for K-12 teachers. NY: Addison-Wesley Longman.

Rasinski, T. & Padak, N. (2000). (2nd Ed.) Effective reading strategies: Teaching children who find reading difficult. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Sturtevant, E.G., Boyd, F., Brozo, W., Hinchman, K., Moore, D.W., & Alvermann, D. (2006). Principled practices for adolescent literacy: A framework for instruction and policy. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Tierney, R.J.& Readance, T. (2000). Reading strategies & practices: A compendium. NY: Allyn & Bacon. Vacca, R.T. & Vacca, J.L. (2004) (8th Ed.) Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the

curriculum. NY: Allyn & Bacon.

“Reluctant” Readers?